The following is great advice from the Food Safety Information Council to ensure that the school lunches that are about to once again become part of our lives meet food safety requirements.

6 tips for parents about how to prepare a safe lunchbox for children:

1. When buying lunchboxes, choose those that have room for a frozen water bottle or freezer block and are easy to clean and dry.
2. Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before preparing food, and wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
3. Make sure ready-to-eat lunchbox foods are always kept separated from raw foods in the refrigerator, particularly raw meats, chicken, eggs, and seafood.
4. Keep the lunch cool in the fridge until you are ready to leave home, then put an ice brick or frozen drink in it to keep it cold until lunchtime.
5. During hot weather you may want to consider providing safer lunchbox alternatives that can be safely stored at room temperature, such as hard or processed cheese, uncut vegetables or tuna in a can.
6. Discard any higher risk foods such as sushi, salads, meat, cut fruits, poultry, rice or eggs if your child brings them home uneaten.

For more helpful and easy food safety information go to the Food Safety information Council website at  www.foodsafety.asn.au

The following is a recall notice from Food Standards Australia New Zealand, and is included here with permission.

O’Brien’s Leg Ham – Various Weights  

Date published: 20 January 2021

Product information

O’Brien’s Wholesale Meats Pty Ltd is conducting a recall of the following O’Brien’s hams:

Full Boneless Leg Ham (various weights), use by 24 March 2021, 1 April 2021, 6 April 2021;
Champagne Leg Ham (various weights), use by 1 April 2021, 6 April 2021;
Half Leg Ham (various weights), use by 1 April 2021, 6 April 2021;
Full Leg Ham (various weights), use by 1 April 2021, 6 April 2021;
Half Boneless Leg Ham (various weights), use by 6 April 2021;
Third Leg Ham (various weights), use by 6 April 2021.

The product has been available for sale at independent food retailers including IGA and butcher shops in SA, NT, NSW and Vic, and Foodlands in SA.

Problem

The recall is due to microbial (Listeria monocytogenes) contamination.

Food safety hazard

Listeria may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly and people with low immune systems.

Country of origin

Australia

What to do​

Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:

O’Brien’s Wholesale Meats Pty Ltd
08 8280 3911
www.obriensmeat.com.au

The European Food Safety Agency has just approved Yellow Meal worms as being safe for human consumption.

It is expected that this will open the doors to insects eventually becoming a regular part of the western diet.

Insects have long been a part of many diets around the world as a significant source of protein but are not usually eaten by those in western countries.

The protein for the western diet is overwhelming from animal sources, although plant based protein is becoming increasingly popular.

Animal based protein is expensive to produce due to the large amounts of resources required.

It also does not produce as much protein per kilogram of body weight as insects do.

So from a sustainability point of view, insects are definitely where we need to be moving, but can we get those in the west to eat them.

This approval  gives hope to those businesses wanting to move into the market.

A recent study featured in the Food Australia Jan – Mar 2021 Edition  shows that 26.3 percent of the 601 adult respondents are not likely to want to eat any insects, however 56.2 of them said that they are willing to try insects.

Interestingly 65.7 percent of the respondents said that they would be willing to eat flour made from insects.

So it would appear that the way to get insects into our diet is to start with  a material made for insects, so that people cannot see the actual insect.

The following is another recall notice from Food Standards Australia New Zealand and is included here with permission.

Bellarine Smokehouse Pâtés 150g  

​Date published: 12 January 2021

Product information

Bellarine Smokehouse is conducting a recall of their Smoked Barramundi Pâté 150g and Smoked Salmon Pâté 150g. The product has been available for sale at independent food retailers including IGA and direct to consumers from Bellarine Smokehouse in Vic.

Date markings

Use By 050221 & 060221

Problem

The recall is due to microbial (Listeria monocytogenes) contamination.

Food safety hazard

Listeria may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly and people with low immune systems.

Country of origin

Australia

What to do​

Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:

Bellarine Smokehouse
0434 229 680
https://www.bellarinesmokehouse.com/

Another recall notice from Food Standards Australia New Zealand. It is included here with permission.

Woolworths Coleslaw 110g, 250g, 400g and 800g

Date published: 12 January 2021

Product information
Woolworths is conducting a recall of Woolworths Coleslaw 110g, 250g, 400g & 800g. The products have been available for sale at Woolworths Supermarkets and Metro in NSW & ACT and some Woolworths Supermarkets in regional Vic*.
* White Box Rise SM, Lavington SM, Bright, Albury Central, Benalla, Wodonga SM, Mooroopna, Epsom, Golden Square, Yarrawonga Central, Bendigo Market Place, Kerang, Cobram, Thurgoona, Swan Hill, Lansell Plaza SM, Shepparton, Kyabram, Echuca, Kennington, Shepparton East, Corowa, Wangaratta, Moama, Seymour

Date markings
All Use By dates from 12 Jan up to and including 21 Jan.

Problem
The recall is due to potential microbial (Salmonella) contamination.

Food safety hazard
Food products with potential microbial contamination may cause illness if consumed.

Country of origin
Australia

What to do
Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:
Woolworths
1800 103 515
https://www.woolworths.com.au/

The following is a recall notice from Food Standards Australia New Zealand and is included here with permission.

Rosella Red Cocktail Onions 150g  

​Date published: 4 January 2021

Product information

The Trustee for The Sabrands Australia Mgmt Trust is conducting a recall of Rosella Red Cocktail Onions 150g. The product has been available for sale at independent food retailers including IGA in NSW, Woolworths in NSW & Qld and Coles nationally.

Date markings

Best Before 05/11/2022

Problem

The recall is due to the potential presence of foreign matter (glass).

Food safety hazard

Food products containing glass may cause illness/injury if consumed.

Country of origin

Australia

What to do​

Consumers should not eat this product and should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:

The Trustee for The Sabrands Australia Mgmt Trust
1800 667 765 / enquiries@rosellagroup.com.au
www.rosella.com.au

Following is another recall notice from Food Standards Australia New Zealand. It is included here with permission.

This is a recall due to microbial contamination, which is not that common, as the majority of recalls are due to allergens, either products having allergens which should not be there or the labelling does not show the allergens the product contains.

Product information

Monde Nissan Australia Pty Ltd (nudie Foods) is conducting a recall of nudie nothing but 2 apples 200ml. The product has been available for sale at independent food retailers including IGA in NSW, Vic & SA, independent food retailers in Qld, Tas & WA and Woolworths nationally.

Date markings

BEST BEFORE 18-JUNE-21
(All other Best Before dates are not affected)

Problem

The recall is due to microbial (mycotoxin – patulin) contamination.

Food safety hazard

Food products containing the mycotoxin patulin may cause illness if consumed.

Country of origin

Australia

What to do​

Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:

Monde Nissan Australia Pty Ltd
1800 466 834
info@nudie.com.au
www.nudie.com.au

A new recall notice from Food Standards Australia New Zealand. This is included here with permission.

Woolworths Cooked and Peeled Cocktail Prawns 1kg  

​Date published: 23 December 2020

Product information

Woolworths is conducting a recall of Woolworths Cooked & Peeled Cocktail Prawns 1kg. The product has been available for sale at Woolworths stores in NSW (in stores surrounding the ACT), VIC, SA, NT, TAS, ACT and WA and at Woolworths Metro stores in VIC and ACT.

Date markings

Best Before 21 02 2022

Problem

The recall is due to potential microbial contamination.

Food safety hazard

Food products with potential microbial contamination may cause illness if consumed.

Country of origin

Thailand

What to do​

Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:

Woolworths
1800 103 515
https://www.woolworths.com.au/

With Christmas upon us, one of the favourite gifts for this time of the year is chocolate, so it seemed like a good time to look at some interesting bits and pieces about this food.

Chocolate as we know it first started as a drink which originated with the Aztecs.

The Chocolate Cream Bar was first mass produced in 1866 and holds the record as the oldest chocolate bar.

Milk Chocolate was invented in Switzerland.

Tempering, which is essential to make chocolate melt in the mouth, was accidently discovered by Rudolfe Lindt.

The Lindt Milk Chocolate Bar debuted in 1879, Hersheys Bar came out in 1894, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Bar in 1905, and Toblerone debuted in 1908.

Pralines were invented in Belgium by Neuhaus in 1912

The Whitmans Sampler (boxed chocolates) was first released in 1912. Boxed chocolates are probably one of the easiest and tastiest of all gifts to give and receive – especially at Christmas.

Ruby, the now fourth variety of chocolate (joining white, milk and dark) was developed over nearly 15 years by  Barry Callebaut (a Belgian–Swiss cocoa company) in 2017.

A box of chocolates over 100 years old has recently been found in the bottom of a bag containing Banjo Patterson letters and materials –  https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-21/old-box-of-chocolates-queen-victoria-boer-war-national-library/13001562?fbclid=IwAR0Wg-3nMy40QHqdzFZNt2kHaThPE5qD0CMqirtzstXjIkSjCQ_t2PyJVPQ

So how long can chocolate and still be safe to eat? There are some that would say who cares, it’s chocolate!!! However chocolate will have a best before date and it is unlikely to be anyone who has not  ignored the date on the box to get a taste of that chocolatey yumminess, and we are lucky that this is one food which, if kept cool and contained will still be safe to eat for a long time, although the quality will reduce over time.

One thing is certain though, few of us will ever get the chance to see chocolate that is as old as Banjo’s, because it would be around that long.

Following is a recall notice from Food Standards Australia New Zealand and is included here with permission.

Naderi Traditional Cookie 210g  

​Date published: 15 December 2020

Product information

Aust Aria Pty Ltd is conducting a recall of Naderi Traditional Cookie 210g. The product has been available for sale at Persian & Middle Eastern grocers and independent food retailers in NSW, Qld, Vic & SA.

Date markings

Best Before 16 April 2021

Problem

The recall is due to the potential presence of an undeclared allergen (peanut).

Food safety hazard

Any consumers who have a peanut allergy or intolerance may have a reaction if the product is consumed.

Country of origin

Iran

What to do​

Consumers who have a peanut allergy or intolerance should not consume this product and should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:

Aust Aria Pty Ltd
02 9645 6002